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Romance Scam INTRODUCTION Welcome to keycybr "They want what you have got, don't give it to them" "Think before post" Well in keycybr you will get familiar with cyber security domain. Cybercrime is on the rise hence; we have to be alert and aware about cyber security threats. Stay tuned with us. तबतक #besafe #bealert #cybercrimeneverpays Facebook: www.facebook.com/keycybr Instagram: www.instagram.com/keycybr Twitter: www.twitter.com/keycybr LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/keycybr YouTube: www.youtube.com/channel/UCFijHg9p7MoDNzoqH4U20q w?vi ew_as=subsc Telegram: t.me/keycybr Podcast: anchor.fm/keycybr Visit: https://www.keycybr.com Contact Us: [email protected] Published in 2020 by keycybr Copyright © 2020 by keycybr, all rights reserved FOUNDER & CEO Keycybr ROMANCE SCAM We’re living in a fast-paced era, and it’s become increasingly difficult to juggle a career, have a social life, and find love. People are increasingly switching to more convenient means to find a connection, like dating apps and websites such as Tinder, OkCupid, Hinge or Bumble. That, unfortunately, may make them targets for dating scammers, who prey on their eagerness to find love. Looking for love online? Romance scammers steal your heart to steal your money Sure, you can find love online. You could also find yourself falling for a clever con artist who will gain your trust and rob you blind. It happens all too often. Romance scammers post their fake profiles on popular dating websites and apps. They also target people through direct messaging on social media sites. Their goal is to steal 1 | k e y c y b r your heart and then steal your money. Victims can lose hundreds of thousands of rupees. In some cases, their life savings. How does the scam work? Typically, the victim and criminal will meet through a social media or dating site. The criminal will then try to develop a relationship with his or her victim, sometimes spending several months making the victim feel they are in a romantic relationship. 2 | k e y c y b r Often the scammer will say that they are another city or country and that they eventually want to meet the victim in person. Around this time, the criminal will note that they can’t afford to travel and will seek assistance from the victim in covering travel costs. A variation on this theme includes the criminal noting that there’s an emergency, a sick family member for example, and that they need financial help from the victim to visit the sick individual. The requests for help are a scam and the money wired by the victim, often in large amounts, is now in the hands of the criminal. Tips to avoid becoming a victim Here are some warning signs that your new relationship may be a scam: • Your new friend moves too fast. Scammers are trying to develop a quick relationship with you so be on your guard when someone professes their love to you. 3 | k e y c y b r • If your love interest asks you to send money, be very suspicious. • Does your new friend have an online profile? Look for inconsistencies between what they post, and what they tell you. • If you receive a message from your friend and they use the wrong name, that may be a red flag. Many of these fraudsters are working on multiple victims at the same time. • Scammers will claim that they live close to you but that they’re working overseas. They do this so that they have numerous reasons to ask for you for money. Be on your guard. • If you receive a cheque or another form of payment from someone you've met online and they ask you to cash it and send a portion of the funds back to them - don't do it. This is known as the overpayment scam and you can read more about it here. If you think you may be a victim If you think you may be a victim of a romance scam or any other kind of fraud, it’s important to contact police immediately. Bank staff are aware of these kinds of scams and are trained to pay attention if a customer makes an unusual transaction -- for example, withdrawing more money than usual. However, you are ultimately responsible for any funds that you withdraw from your bank account. That’s why it’s especially important to ask questions and be 100 per cent positive about who you’re sending money to and why. Despite the dangers surrounding these dating apps, there are precautions that can be taken for women to feel safer 4 | k e y c y b r before going on a date with someone they met online. First and foremost, you should always let a friend or family member know about the date ahead of time. You can also let that person track your location using through the Find My Friends app or via Facebook Messenger. I also find that it’s usually best to meet your date in a public place in the event that if something bad happens, there’s always a chance that someone nearby will see something. Never forget, the internet is your friend! So in that case, don’t be afraid to do some digging on the person you’re meeting beforehand. Last tip, if your date takes place in a bar, always make sure to keep an eye on your drink if you feel uneasy because at the end of the day, it’s better to be safe than sorry! Romance scam: How to avoid falling prey to online dating scamsters And it's a good time to talk about how the whole idea of meeting the 'special someone' has changed over the years. Matches today aren't made in heaven. They are made online. 5 | k e y c y b r Cupid has been replaced by social media and dating apps. But not everyone is using these mediums to find a partner. Some are signing up intending to dupe people. But in this space between two devices is a lot of room for fraud. How do you know that the person you are talking to is who he or she claims to be? How do you know that the profile isn't fake? Is there any guarantee that you aren't being conned? 6 | k e y c y b r He or she who is stealing your heart may also be stealing your money. It's called the romance scam. This is how it works. Some con-artist poses as your perfect match. You share your stories. And plans of a future together. Soon he or she asks for money. And the moment you send it and they disappear. So, if you are single and looking to mingle. But don't want to get entangled in a dating scam. Here are some tips you may want to follow 1: Run a quick online search of the person you are talking to. 2: Ask questions. 3: Video call them to make sure their profile photos aren't fake. 4: Don't share your private information. 7 | k e y c y b r 5: Beware of those who avoid meeting in person. 6: At the end of the day, it's better to be safe than sorry. As the search for romantic bliss usually intensifies around Valentine’s Day, what are some of the tell-tale signs that your online crush is, in reality, a scammer looking to find a way into your wallet, rather than your heart? PHOTOS Scammers tend to use stock images of models, who may be styled to sell a specific product. Photos of them posing with beverages and electronics may feel staged and unnatural because indeed they are. If you already suspect something, request a family photo – they will have a hard time producing one since the model they’re impersonating may have not shot a family-themed campaign. Alternatively, they have been known to steal pictures of real people, to make themselves seem more believable. 8 | k e y c y b r If you feel something is off about their photos, usually stick with your gut feeling you may be right. In both cases, you can perform a quick check by reverse searching the photos on Google images. Go to the Google images website, click on the camera icon and either drag and drop the photos URL there or the photo itself. If you’re on your phone, then screenshot it, upload it to your computer, and then use the website. Either way that should clarify your situation a bit. QUICK TO PROFESS DEEP FEELINGS A major warning sign that should set alarm bells off immediately is when new contacts come on too strong, too soon. Promising their undying affection, telling you they love you or proclaiming that you’re their soul mate within the first few hours of conversation, should arouse your suspicion instantly. Scammers will try to advance the relationship as fast as possible to make you feel wanted, softening you up with serenades to reach their ultimate goal, your wallet. Most dating services allow you to block and report the profile of the potential fraudster, with the app’s moderation team taking it from there. 9 | k e y c y b r REROUTING THE CONVERSATION TO ANOTHER MEDIUM Another red flag is that scammers make a concentrated effort to move the conversation to another communication platform. Dating platforms have ways to detect scammers besides the reporting feature.
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